Absolute Martial Arts: Book of Legends

Sara's heart nearly stopped. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw Eldred's fingers graze the Blood Petal, the deadly red hue stark against his skin.

Without thinking, she lunged forward, grabbing his hand with a forceful grip, her fingers trembling.

Eldred, struggling to move, had no idea what was happening. But Sara's next words left him speechless. Letting out a deep breath, he finally relaxed.

'Truly, ignorance is bliss… but sometimes, it's embarrassing and costs you countless benefits.'

"Young Master, I just saw you throw away a Blood Petal… I clearly told you that a single touch is enough to kill an adult man."

She tightened her grip, scanning his face for any signs of pain, any weakening of his breath, but found none. Confusion flickered across her features before she steeled herself. There was no time to hesitate. 

Her hand shot to her boot, pulling out a small, razor-sharp knife.

"Hold still. I'll cut the poisoned hand and get rid of the toxin. It'll only take a second, and you won't feel much pain."

But as she searched for the poison on both of his hands, she paused and did a second and third check." Hmm?" Puzzled, she let Eldred go.

Eldred looked curious and innocent as he asked," What's wrong, Sara? I didn't touch the blood petal; I just kicked it away with my shoes." He needed to make her believe this, or else he would be in trouble, as trust issues can easily accumulate over time.

"Ahhh! So that's what it was," Realization dawned on Sara as her cheeks turned red before she ran to Han's tent, embarrassed by her hasty, worried behavior.

The sudden news about the Patriarch is messing with my judgment. I should get some rest before I make even more mistakes… or embarrass myself further.

As Sara left, Eldred's once-curious expression darkened.

His gaze locked onto the Book of Legends lying before him, its cover glinting under the dim light.

'What just happened? How was I actually able to touch the Blood Flower without being poisoned… without dying?'

He wasn't naive. He had made a reckless mistake, a moment of carelessness that should have cost him his life. Yet, he was still here, unharmed. There was only one explanation.

The Book of Legends had saved him from the poison!

As if responding to his thoughts, the book trembled slightly before lifting into the air. A random page flipped open, and at an astonishing speed, words began to etch themselves onto the parchment.

"Blood Flowers—known as Blood Petals on the Hidden Continent—are just another poisonous treasure scattered across the world. To prevent Master from being poisoned, I provided your brain with the necessary knowledge on how to handle them safely."

Eldred caught wind of what was happening and couldn't help but marvel at the Book of Legends' versatility. Yet, even with its identification abilities and transmission mechanism, he knew these were mere drops in the ocean compared to the book's true worth.

Still, he had no desire to remain in the dark. Without hesitation, he asked, "Is there anything else you can do, or are these the only two abilities you can provide now?"

If he understood the Book of Legends' capabilities from the start, navigating his path would be ten times easier than blindly discovering its effects through trial and error.

"Master can also use the book of legends to identify any problems with his body or soul and find out about any poison or internal injuries, etc... Please note that with each lost piece master finds, several new other abilities would be available."

Eldred was satisfied to hear the answer since this way, he ensured he wouldn't die of an unknown reason at a random moment, and he would know beforehand if anything was wrong with his body or soul.

'I wonder what abilities the other pieces would hold, but from the name and the images I saw back then, it will be far more terrifying than these abilities.' Eldred was certain of it, but he didn't dwell on the thought. With a tired sigh, he closed the book and lay down to rest, exhausted after a long day of travel in the cramped, lowly carriage.

A couple of days passed, and they finally managed to make it to the foot of the Grand Mountains which sure lived up to its name. Eldred gazed at the gigantic frame in front of him.

Along the way, Dean, the right guardian of his father, Arnold, had met up with them to ensure they reached the town safely.

At first, he was nonchalant and didn't care about any of the rest except for their safety, as he ensured that every night he would stay up all night to ensure no random high-ranking demon would attack them.

During the day, he slept atop the carriage, completely unbothered by the rough roads and the carriage's constant swaying. At some point, Sara's patience snapped. Frustrated, she demanded he show more respect and care for their young master, the future heir of the Arnold Household.

Dean barely glanced at her before shutting his eyes again, drifting right back to sleep.

'Arrogant man… but I can't really blame him for it,' Sara thought as she glanced at Eldred. 'He simply has no talent for magic… he'd be better off living an ordinary life.'

By the time they reached the foot of the Grand Mountains, all three let out a sigh of relief. Even Dean, who had been tense the entire journey, seemed noticeably more at ease—as if his focus had been elsewhere the whole time.

Throughout the journey, Eldred gathered a substantial number of Blood Flowers. He even took the time to explain to Sara and Han that as long as they touched them at the exact center, they posed no harm.

They first were cautious and even fearful, thinking their young master had gone crazy. But when they saw him doing it himself, their doubts faded. Convinced, they began gathering Blood Petals for him. They didn't know the reason behind his order, but they followed it without question.

'With this, I can ensure I have enough means to breach the gap between me and the others my age that have been cultivating since a young age inside their households!'